Floor clips



March 27, 1962 G. F. OAKLEY 3,026,821

FLOOR CLIPS Filed Sept. 15, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet l 7 k as 4 46 m 44 INVENTOR. Gl LEsERT F. OAKLEY 23 6 BY 22 Mu, 90W/6WU6 ATTOR NzYS March 27, 1962 G. F. OAKLEY 3,025,821

FLOOR CLIPS Filed Sept. 15, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 61 L BERT E OAKLEY ATTORNEYS March 27, 1962 G. F. OAKLEY 3,026,821

FLOOR CLIPS Filed Sept. 15, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR, e: L BERT F. OAKLEY ATTORNEYS I United States Patent 3,026,821 FLOOR CLIPS Gilbert F. Oakley, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to MacLean-Fogg Lock Nut Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 760,915 3 Claims. (Cl. 105422) My invention relates to floor clips for use with steel flooring of the type used in railway freight cars, and more particularly to clips for attaching such flooring to the sub-structure of a railway freight car to hold the flooring in place.

The structure of known types of steel flooring is such that nails can be driven between adjacent flooring strips and held in place therebetween for securing blocks, chocks and other cargo retaining pieces in place, which nails may be later removed without material damage to the flooring. It is consequently more durable than wood and can withstand considerably more general wear. As is known in the art, such flooring generally is made of sheet steel bent to have a surface configuration similar to that of the wood floor boards which they replace in the car structure. The longitudinal side surfaces of the steel floor strips which are generally formed to provide reverse curves laterally of the surfaces which aid in holding nails driven between adjacent strips. The flooring strips or members are applied to the sub-structure of a rail car in rather precisely spaced relation, so as to leave gaps between adjacent flooring members which will receive a nail but which, in receiving it, will also grip the nail firmly. The side surfaces of the flooring, being curved complementarily on adjacent members, leave a space of substantially uniform width from top to bottom, and bend a nail when it is driven into the space, thereby serving additionally to retain the nail in place.

In some instances such metal flooring is applied to the car underframe structure one strip or member at a time, and in other instances several, strips or members are preassembled into a panel or sub-assembly, and the subassemblies are put in place on the car underframe as units. This factor is mentioned in connection with this invention, because the manner of applying the flooring to the car underframe somewhat influences the considera tion and problems encountered in providing suitable means for securing the flooring in place on the car underframe.

My invention as disclosed herein, is primarily concerned with means for securing and retaining metal flooring in place on the underframe of a railway car. For this purpose, I have developed clips which are inexpensive to make and use and which provide for rapid and easy attachment of flooring to a car. Little skill or precision is required in the use of clips of the type herein disclosed, and yet both the precise spacing between adjacent flooring members and secure retention of the flooring are achieved by the use of clips embodying my invention.

The use of my clips avoids the necessity of drilling bolt holes in the sub-structure of the car and the problems and time involved in welding at inaccessible places between the flooring and underframe parts, as well as the accurate placement of flooring members during such assembly operations.

Thus, it may be understood to be an object of this invention to provide clip-type devices for securing metal flooring in place on the underframe structure of railway cars, which clip-type devices can be inexpensively manufactured and installed and used, whether the flooring is laid as individual strips or members or in sub-assemblies embodying a group of strips or members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a transverse section through adjacent metal flooring members of one type and a clip made in accordance with one embodiment of my invention, the parts being shown in place on an underframe member of a railway car in positions assumed during assembly and prior to final tightening;

FIG. 2 is a section similar to FIG. 1, but showing the parts tightened together in their assembled positions;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along a line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a similar sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a second and somewhat modified embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the clip of the type utilized in the applications depicted in FIGS.1, 2 and 3;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top plan and end sectional views of a sub-assembly of a group of metal flooring members of a type difierent than that shown in FIGS. 14 inclusive, and showing the use of clips of this invention as utilized for securing the sub-assembly in place on the underframe of a railway car;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary end sectional view similar to a portion of FIG. 7, but drawn to a larger scale to provide greater detail;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views taken substantially on lines 9-9 and I010 respectively, in FIG. 8, and in the directions indicated by arrows;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view similar to a portion of FIG. 6, but drawn to a larger scale and showing further details; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a modified form of clip adapted to be secured in place relative to the flooring members by welding.

The basic clip exemplifying my invention is an inverted substantially F-shaped member 10. In some instances it may be stamped out of heavy hardened steel plate. Other forms thereof may be forged. The clip includes an upper shank portion 12 and a lower, bracket or sill-engaging portion 14. The bracket portion embodies a first tongue 16 extending to one side of the clip from the lower end thereof and a second tongue 18 extending in the same direction spaced above tongue 16 so as to leave a slot 20 between the two tongues proportioned to receive a marginal portion of a flange of a car sill.

In the form of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the clip is a stamping and is so sheared as to provide relatively square facing surfaces 22 on opposite sides of slot 20 with corners 23 as sharp and square as is feasible, commensurate with practical manufacturing operations. The shank portion has a bore 24 therein and likewise has a slight longitudinal curvature intermediate its ends as indicated at 26.

Metal flooring members 30 illustrated in conjunction with this form of clip are of a known type. They are generally channel-shaped in transverse section and have flat upper surfaces 32. Each has a generally convex side surface 34 on one side thereof, a generally concave side surface 36 on the other side. Flanges 38 and 40 on the lower ends of the sides thereof extend inwardly from the side surfaces 34 and 36 toward each other to support each member from the sills of the car. The thickness of the members, from the flanges to the upper surface is commonly conventional, about 1% inches. The flooring members are assembled on the sub-structure of a car and ex tend transversely thereof in side by side relationship, the concave side 36 of one member lying adjacent the convex side 34 of the adjacent member. In conventional usage, the flooring members are spaced to maintain a gap there- Patented Mar. 27, 1962 between in order that a nail may be driven between two adjoining members to be gripped therebetween and take the curvature of the adjacent side surfaces forming the gap to anchor the nail between the members.

The convex sides 34 and concave sides 36 of the flooring members may be centrally bored as at 42 near the ends of the flooring members for the reception of ap propriate means to hold the flooring members together and to secure the clips in place.

FIGS. l-4 inclusive of the drawings illustrate the attachment of metal flooring members to one of the side sills 44 of a railway car. The side sill, in the disclosed structure, constitutes an angle having a horizontal flange 46 to which the flooring is secured and a vertical flange 48 to which siding 50 may be secured. A flooring member is placed on a car underframe so as to span the car transversely with its ends resting on the horizontal flanges 46 of the side sills 44. Bolts 52 are introduced inside of each flooring member as it is put in place, to extend through the aligned bores 42 in sides thereof, the insides of the flooring members being readily accessible through the space between the flanges 38 and 40. The bores 42 are positioned longitudinally of the flooring members to lie just inwardly of the inside edges of the horizontal flanges 46 of the side sills 44. Clips are then placed between the flooring members and bolts 52 are then inserted when the notch 20 is engaged with the margin of the side sill angle (FIG. 3) and with the curvature 26 of the shank 12 of the clip following generally the curvature of the side surface of the adjacent flooring member. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the head of the bolt is situated inside the convex side of one flooring member and the shank of the bolt projects outwardly from that side.

FIG. 1 illustrates a clip and two adjacent flooring members in position and as the parts are related before the nuts and drawn up tight on the bolts. It may be observed that as the parts are disposed in FIG. 1, the bracket end of the clip is substantially perpendicular to the flange 46 of the side sill 44 and the notch 20 fits closely thereon. It may be further observed, however, that the curved shank 12 of the clip, is not in alignment with the curvature of the facing edge surfaces 34 and 36 of the flooring members.

As the nuts 58 are tightened and the flooring members are drawn together, the sides 34 and 36 force the shank portion 12 of the clip into concentricity with the curvature of the sides, thereby inclining the shank portion of the clip and having the effect of swinging the bracket portion 14 thereof out of its perpendicular relation to the plane of the side sill flange 46. This causes the sharp square corners 23 of the notch 20 to bite into the side sill flange surfaces and so anchor the flooring members firmly and tightly to the side sills.

Other flooring members may be added consecutively to those previously laid, with clips being interposed between members as described to complete and secure the floor. It may be appreciated that the clip shanks space the flooring members adequately and properly, since for the reception and retention of nails therebetween, the thickness of the metal of which the clips are made is predetermined by the desired spacing and the flooring members are drawn tightly against the sides of the clip shank.

The desirability of the clips being hardened may be readily understood. The corner edges of notch 20 effect a firm and gripping connection between the flooring members and the side sill flanges or other substructural members to which the flooring may be attached, and the more sharply the notched corners dig into such structural members, the more effective is the gripping action of the clips. It may likewise be appreciated that in the assembly of any car floor by the use of my clips, both left and right hand clips must be employed. The clip as described is non-symmetrical and there will, therefore, have to be a reversal of the direction of shank curvature relative to the side from which the bracket tongues project or that side in which notch 20 is located. It may be noted that the top edge 59 of the clip shank 12 lies slightly below the upper surface 32 of the flooring 30.

In FIG. 4 is shown flooring and a type of clip designed for a welded rather than a bolted connection. Flooring members 30 have correspondingly curved facing surfaces 34 and 36, as in the described exemplification of my invention, and are to be attached to a railway car or more specifically to the horizontal flanges 46 of the sills thereof. Instead of bolting the flooring members together through the clips, in this instance, a flooring member 30 is placed transversely of the car on the side sills and clips 10 are mounted on the side sill flanges beside the flooring member by the bracket portions 14 thereof, so the shank portions 12 extend upward in contact with the side surface of the flooring member. A second flooring member is then placed on the car side sills adjacent the previously placed member, and against the shank portions 12 of the clips 10.

In order that the spacing between the two flooring members will be determined with desirable accuracy in reference to the thickness of the metal of the clip shank 12, whereby the gap between flooring members will be adequate to receive a nail of predetermined size and will also assure suflicient gripping action of the floor members on the nail, the two adjacent flooring members may be jacked or otherwise clamped together with the clip shanks 12 therebetween while a fillet weld 60 is made between the adjacent flooring members and the top edge 62 of the clip shank 12 to secure collectively the flooring members and the top clip shank edges 62 together. Again, the top edge 62 of the shank lies below the top surfaces 32 in that the weld may interconnect the three surfaces and still not extend above the level of the floor. Of course, the welding may be done when there has been an assembly of more than just two flooring members and the intervening clips.

In this way, metal flooring may be attached to the underframe of a car firmly and securely. The correct spacing of flooring members is easily achieved by the use of the clips as spacers, as well as for securing purposes. The ease of assembly is quite apparent. A floor member is put down, clips hooked to the sill flanges to lie against the sides of the flooring member, a second flooring member is put in place, further clips are added, and so on, and thereafter the assembly is clamped and a simple welding operation completes the floor.

In some instances, it has been found preferable or advantageous to asesemble a preselected number of metal flooring members and the clips for holding members in place into a subassembly which is still of a size that can be handled expeditiously, and to put and secure the subassembly in place on the car underframe as a unit. An example of such a sub-assembly is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7, and details of the exemplary structure are shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11.

The flooring, as depicted in FIGS. 611 inclusive, is of a different type than that shown in FIGS. 1-4 inclusive, although either type may be installed either as individual members or in sub-assembled groups. As illustrated, flooring members 70, of the type shown in FIGS. 6-11 inclusive, have substantially flat top web portions 72 and integral side flange portions 73 and 74 extending downwardly and longitudinally along opposite sides of the web portions. At positions spaced downwardly from the top web portion, the flange portion 73 has reverse bends 75 and 76 extending longitudinally thereof which effect an offset relationship between upper and lower regions of the side portion with the said lower region oifset inwardly on the flooring member from the said upper region. To provide for corresponding curvatures of the side flange portions of adjacent flooring members, the side flange portion 74 has reverse bends 77 and 78 extending longitudinally thereof and so related that the lower region thereof is offset outwardly of the upper region thereof, whereby adjacent flooring members conform to provide intervening vertically curved joints into which nails may be driven and in which such nails will be held.

An angle 79 extends longitudinally of the lower midportion of the web portion of each flooring member between the side flanges 73 and 74 thereof and has a supporting flange 80, the upper edge of which is secured to the lower surface of the web portion by means, such as welding at 82, and a base flange 83 adapted to engage supporting structure for supporting the flooring member therefrom. As shown in FIGS. 811 inclusive, the base flange 83 of each angle is supported at its opposite ends by resting upon a flange 84 of a side sill 85 of the car structure.

When grouped in a sub-assembly, as illustrated in FIGS. 6-11 inclusive, a plurality of the flooring members 70 are placed in adjacent, side-by-side relationship in numbers to provide a width of the flooring that can be handled and placed conveniently in the assembly of the flooring with the car structure, and are secured together by flat metal strips 86 welded to each flooring member and extending across the ends of the flooring members.

When assembled into the sub-assembly, clips 87 are interposed between adjacent flooring members near the opposite ends thereof for engagement with the lower surfaces of the side sill flanges upon which the flooring members rest, thereby to hold the flooring members in place on the side sills of the car underframe. It may be readily understood that when assembled with the flooring members for installation therewith as a sub-assembly, the downwardly extending portions of the clips 87 must assume positions such that they will pass between the side sill flanges without interfering with the placement of the sub-assembly.

In the disclosed structure, clips 87, of the type used in the sub-assembly and secured in place between the flooring members thereof when the sub-assembly is put together, are of the type illustrated in FIG. 12. These clips are each basically substantially L-shaped punchings made from metal plate stock having a thickness providing desired spacing between the flooring members for nailing purposes, as aforementioned, and have a stem portion 88 and a bottom lug portion 89 normally in substantially right angular relationship to one another. The stem portion has reverse curves 90 and 92 therein which interfit with the side wall curvatures of adjacent flooring members and extends from a position below the flooring members to a position near the top web surface, at which latter position it is readily welded to the adjacent flooring members. At the lower end of the stem portion, the lug portion assumes a position, when the clip is secured in place, such that the top edge of that lug portion is aligned for engagement with the bottom surface of the side sill flange 85 of the car underframe structure. Initially, and until the flooring sub-assembly has been put in place on the side sill flanges, the lug portions 89 of the clips are each bent, as at 93, adjacent one edge of the stem portion to extend in angular relationship to one face of the stem portion, thereby providing for clearance of the side sill flanges during placement of the sub-assembly thereon. After such placement, the lug portions are bent back toward the plane of the stem portions and into holding engagement with the lower surfaces of the side sill flanges to anchor the sub-assembly and flooring members. In order that the flooring will be pulled down tightly against the side sills when the lug portions are bent toward the planes of the stem portions of each clip, the upper edges of the lug portions are tapered somewhat toward their free ends and have their deepest sections adjacent the stem portions.

At opposite sides of the sub-assemblies, or between adjacent sub-assemblies, at which positions the clips can be put in place after each sub-assembly is in position, the disclosed exemplary structure embodies clips 95 of the type shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. These clips, like those previously described, include stem portions 96 which have longitudinally displaced reverse bends 97 and 98 (FIG. 8), or are otherwise curved or bent to fit the contours of the side walls of the flooring members. Near the upper end, a stud 99 projects from the lateral midportion of one side face of the stem and, when installed projects through a bore 100 in the side wall of the adjacent flooring member to provide a stabilizing connection thereto. At its lower end, each such clip has integral parallel lugs 102 and 103 projecting therefrom in substantially right angular relationship to the stern portion and in spaced relationship to one another to provide a slot 104 in which the marginal portion of the side sill flange 84 is engaged for holding purposes. The upper portion of the stem portion has a thickness providing separation between flooring members for nailing purposes, as in previously described forms. However, in this disclosed modification, the lower end porton of the stem and the bottom lug portion 103 are thicker than the upper portion of the stem to provide greater strength in those portions.

The clips 87 shown in FIGS. 8, 10 and 11 are like those shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 12, except that they embody studs 99 projecting from the mid-portion of the upper end of the stern and engageable in bores in the adjacent flooring member side walls, like the clips 95. As may be understood from the drawings, the presence of the studs 99 on the stems of the clips 87 and and the corresponding holes in the flooring members facilitate the assembly of the car floor, in that the proper centering of the flooring members is determined by the entry of the studs 99 into the holes and the flooring members are strengthened against lateral shifting by an interlock between the studs 99 and holes 100.

It may be readily understood from the foregoing description that I have provided clips for the securement of nailable steel flooring members to the underframe structure of railways cars, which clips facilitate installation of an excellent and very durable floor without elaborate or highly accurate assembly procedures. The clips of my invention are very inexpensive and are easily manipulated in the installation of a floor. It will likewise be recognized that my invention is capable of taking many forms and existing in many embodiments and I, therefore, desire the invention be regarded as being limited only as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having substructure including longitudinally extending side sills having horizontal flange portions, the combination therewith of nailable metal flooring members laid in adjacent relationship to extend transversely of said horizontal flange portions, said metal flooring members having side flange portions which are curved to present regions offset from one another laterally of the flange portions, and the side flange portions or" adjacent flooring members being complementarily curved substantially to interfit with one another, floor retaining clips each including a stem portion and a lug portion extending laterally outward from one edge of the stem portion at one end of each of said clips, the stem portions of the clips being curved to interfit between adjacent side flange portions of adjacent flooring members and being interposed between adjacent flooring members at predetermined positions spaced longitudinally of the flooring members and determined by the interfitted curved stem and side flange portions to provide preselected spaces between adjacent side flange portions of the metal flooring members and between the flooring members and the lug portions of said clips, said lug portions engaging said horizontal flange portions of said side sills on the faces of the side sill flange portions opposite those against which the flooring is laid, and means securing adjacent flooring members and said stem portions of the clips together 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said flooring members have apertures in the side flange portions thereof at points near the ends of said flooring members and related to the edges of said horizontal flange portions of the side sills, and each of said clips having a stud extending outwardly from a face of said stem portion thereof for engagement in one of said apertures to position said clips with respect to said flooring members.

3. In a railway car having substructure including side sills having horizontal flanges, the combination of nailable metal floor members having generally upright side flange portions bent laterally thereof to provide regions of reverse curvature offset from one another laterally of the floor members and extending transversely of said car in adjacent relationship to one another to provide a floor therefor, clips having bendable stem portions bent longitudinally thereof to provide a normally curved shape more nearly straight than the lateral curvature of said side flange portions of the floor members so that they are flexed by securement between adjacent side flange portions of said floor members, said clips having a bracket portion below said stem portion, said bracket portion of each clip having a side sill flange engaging slot lateral to the stem portion in a vertical edge thereof, said bracket portions extending from the shank portions in a direction such that the bracket portions are tilted to a position other than perpendicular to said horizontal side sill flanges when said stem portions are bent by said securement between said side surfaces and so that the edges of the bracket portions at said slots grip against the top and bottom surfaces of said marginal portion of the side sill flanges, and means for securing adjacent side flange portions of the flooring members together with the stem portions of said clips gripped and secured therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

